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Background: Communication in cancer care has become a major topic of interest. Since there is evidence that ineffective communication affects both patients and oncology clinicians (physicians and nurses), so-called communication skills trainings (CSTs) have been developed over the last decade. While these trainings have been demonstrated to be effective, there is an important heterogeneity with regard to implementation and with regard to evidence of different aspects of CST.Methods: In order to review and discuss the scientific literature on CST in oncology and to formulate recommendations, the Swiss Cancer League has organised a consensus meeting with European opinion leaders and experts in the field of CST, as well as oncology clinicians, representatives of oncology societies and patient organisations. On the basis of a systematic review and a meta-analysis, recommendations have been developed and agreed upon. While most people agree about the importance of patientcentred communication, especially in the field of oncology, substantial differences with regard to communication skills have been observed among oncology clinicians: for example, some clinicians utilise avoidance strategies, such as denial of patients' emotional suffering by focussing on medical information only; others respond empathically to the patients' cues and also discuss emotional and social aspects of disease [8]. In addition, it has been recognised that clinicians tend to use closed rather than open questions, that there are few exchange about psychosocial issues, that patients are not often given the opportunity to express their emotions and initiate discussions [1] and that patients often do not understand the phrases used in consultations and pick up only a small fraction of the provided information [9]. Consequently, over the last decade, there has been an increase in the development of socalled communication skills training (CST) programmes in order to correct these problems. CST in oncologyCST is on the basis of assumptions that (i) effective communication requires specific skills, (ii) these are relevant for patients and clinicians and (iii) such skills can be improved by training [10,11]. Effective communication skills are not just inborn qualities or a simple byproduct of the professional review